This specification relates to flexible circuitry and micro devices, such as accelerometers.
Flex (or flexible) circuit technology is an approach for manufacturing electronic circuits by mounting electronic components on flexible plastic substrates. Various types of plastic materials can be uses such as polyimide. Other materials such as Polyether ether ketone (PEEK), PET Polyethylene terephthalate, and transparent conductive polyester may be used. Flex circuit assemblies may be manufactured using identical components used for rigid printed circuit boards. However, unlike rigid printed circuit boards, flex circuit technology allows the flex circuit board to flex or conform to a shape during use.
Accelerometers are devices that measure “proper acceleration,” i.e., the rate of change of velocity of a body in its own instantaneous rest frame in contrast to coordinate acceleration, being the acceleration in a fixed coordinate system. Accelerometers have multiple applications in industry and science. For instance, accelerometers are used in tablet computers, hand held smart phones, digital cameras and so forth so that images on screens are always displayed upright. Single axis as well as multi-axis accelerometers are available. Micro-machined accelerometer devices are present in many portable electronic devices such as hand-held controllers, e.g. remote controls and video game controllers and are used to provide a coarse indication of changes in device position, e.g., movement.